MI Solar won projects of IOCL Baroda with the plant capacity of 550KW & IOCL Paradip, Orissa 4.36MW . MI Solar is working on projects under Solar Energy Corporation of India in which we are stimulate educational sector: 2MW

How to increase solar energy output

July 23, 2017

Factors affecting Solar energy output

Thanks to the government persuaded green energy initiatives. The spread of solar energy output as an alternative power source is picking up.

The solar power output target for the country is 100 GW by 2022. Under the leadership of honorable minister of Power and Renewable Energy, Mr. Piyush Goyal. There is a reduction in the challenges which restrict the achievement of this target goal. The major steps he took to automate the success and regulation of mission include :

Reduction of parity in grid meters

Making project financing feasible by reducing interest rates

Ensuring a reasonable ROI so as to attract individual retail purchases

Thus, thanks to these initiatives. The mammoth goal of going solar seems achievable.

However, no matter how much a state lays emphasis on an issue. The onus of making a mission successful lies on individuals too.

With this regard, the more individual households embrace the solar option. Hence, the more sooner our nation reaches its solar energy generation targets.

It does not cause noise or a chaos in the energy generation process. Moreover, it is the most feasible one to adopt for individuals at large. This is when one compares solar to energy generated from wind-powered turbines.

The phenomenon of solar power transition is lucrative indeed. No wonder, even the mammoth energy companies are jumping on the solar energy bandwagon.

This makes a powerful case study for homeowners to replicate. As without doubt, the benefits of deploying solar panels on rooftops are noteworthy.

What factors affect Sun energy output

The decision to go Solar follows the task of solar PV panels deployment. The determination of Solar PVs integration process follows a lot of factors. Possible factors which impact average power output of a solar panel are as below:

1. Geographical location

It is fortunate for India to receive a good share of solar power throughout the year. Except for the hill bound regions predominant at top North. And also regions in the North-east which receive high rainfalls all year round.

If one were to consider a holistic consensus. Then, the geography of our country is lucrative for solar energy generation. Thus, calls out to make the best advantage of it.

In comparison to other states. Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra receive the maximum amount of Solar power in a year. Thus solar panels per watt output are maximum in these locations.

2. Mounting location

The top of a building receives the largest impact from the Sun. This makes it a go-to location for placing the solar panels.

Moreover, the roof is the area which remains unoccupied for in-habitation. So, integrating PV panels on the roof is sensible to gain the benefit of clean energy generation.

In situations where solar panels installation is not possible on the roof. Then, the panels are either ground or wall mounted. At some places, portable solar panel systems are also available. They are movable and fit for mounting on both ground and roof.

The installations which are not on the roof may not be workable in the general sense. But they do serve as powerful alternatives for rooftop solar panels on the roof.

3. Surrounding Shading on the mounted location

The activity of power generation through solar panels happens due to the Sun. An obstruction of Sun’s rays transmission on panels affects the solar energy output.

It is difficult to avoid these obstructing factors. But as long as these do not cast a shadow for a major portion of a regular sunny day. Then the solar energy output remains good.

4. Orientation

This factor for output from your panels is in a way dependent on the geographical location. The variations in solar output have a direct relation with the tilt it has at the time of mounting.

The tilt is further dependent on the hemisphere of the location. India is in the northern hemisphere, so panels oriented towards South perform the best.

For most of the flat roofs, a tilt of 20 degrees towards the Sun works best. Though the figure may range between 5 – 30 degrees in general. The ideal angle for each roof depends on how much cloudy seasons it receives in a year.

5. Location size

The more the better. Of course, mounting of more and bigger solar panels means more output generation. The correlation between solar panel size and output is obvious.

Thus, a conclusion that a bigger location amounts to bigger or more panels. On an interesting note, there is one factor which makes the location size irrelevant for panels. The factor is the connected demand load of the respective household.

Demand load is an important factor which determines the size of solar system integration. The government regulations influence this and hence it is not susceptible to user modifications.

In the current scenario, 50% of the load size determines the size of solar panels integration. Though, talks are doing the rounds for an increase in this metrics. Hence, how to calculate solar panels needed differs on regional policies too.

6. Dirt and Dust

Photovoltaic (PV) cells make up the surface of solar panels. The surface of these cells absorb the rays of the Sun to turn them into power.

In the event of any obstruction between the cells and rays decreases output. That not just includes elements mentioned in point (3). But also the elements which come in direct contact with the cells. They are dirt, dust, and lint.

These stick to the surface of cells and interfere with the energy production. The solution to getting rid of them is regular cleaning. Washing of PV cells with soft water increases the solar energy output. The hard water may leave traces of salts which may decrease the output.

7. Hazards because of animals and birds

These elements contribute to the category of pests. The droppings of birds clog the surface of panels. Ditto with the monkeys. Though the monkeys may prove more harm if they begin to tamper. Situations of chimps jumping and hitting the panels are common in few places. This menace is avoidable with a monitoring of the site. A proper check of the solar system brings about good returns on solar panel cost over time.

8. Integration infrastructure

Generation of power through Sun is much more than a simple placement of solar panels. This involves a proper integration of an array of solar PV modules system. The system includes the integration of wiring systems, an inverter, and a solar meter.

In Conclusion:

100% output from a solar energy generation system is impossible in a field environment. But there are a lot of improvements possible to achieve optimum energy output of solar panels.

The factors could be both in direct and indirect contact with the PV system. These factors depend a lot on the location of the respective sites.

For an instance, the menace of monkeys may only be for countries like India. Also, the government policies differ not just for the countries. But they are also different for states within the countries.

Irrespective of the kind of issue factors. There is a scope for improving on them to maximize the solar energy output. The factors mentioned help improve solar panel efficiency over time.